Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The treatment of the Debenhams workers has been very shabby, shoddy and unacceptable and I have made that point on a number of occasions. Notwithstanding the difficulties the parent company was or is in, the failure to honour the collective agreements into which these workers had entered is unacceptable, and the manner in which they have been treated is unacceptable as far as the performance of the company is concerned. I have met the workers on a number of occasions, both in the Taoiseach's office and on the picket line. They were very exercised and focused on getting a practical outcome to the present dispute, which is difficult.

Last week, as the Deputy will be aware, particularly last Friday, there had been progress, or indications of some progress, in discussions between Mandate Trade Union and the liquidator towards a deal that could be put to the workers in a ballot. I know Sinn Féin welcomed that announcement and the fact that a proposal had been put to the workers after agreement had been reached between Mandate and the Debenhams liquidator. The nature of that offer, however, specifically the overall amount of funding made available, was clearly unacceptable to the workers on the ground. When the amount was divided among all the workers, it paled into relative insignificance in comparison with what they would have expected if the collective agreement had been observed.

The Government has communicated its views to the company. The parent company in the UK was in examinership and is not coming forward with any resources to assist in this situation. All sides must now get back around the table. We have kept in close contact with Mandate on this dispute, its continuation and efforts to try to bring about a resolution to it. Mandate will tell Deputy McDonald, to be fair, that it is challenging to work out a satisfactory package for the workers involved. The Government has committed to reviewing company law more generally to make it very difficult in future - one can never render it impossible - for companies tactically to create situations of this kind, to use the word the Deputy used. There is a range of measures involved, for example, separating assets from trading income, and these loopholes have to be closed. Our view is to take a supportive stance on behalf of the workers. I met ICTU last week and I have met IBEC. I spoke to ICTU at some length on this issue, particularly the legal side and mechanisms that could perhaps be deployed to try to assist the workers at Debenhams but also more generally in situations into the future.

That is the position as of now. We need to get all sides back to the table and to get dialogue opened again to see if a package can be put to the workers in terms of what is available out of that liquidation process. It is beyond the Government's sphere of influence, legally.

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